The Avs captain, 36, with one goal in his previous 13 games entering the game with Columbus, was dropped to the fourth line by the second period.

While Sacco toyed with his line combinations from there, giving Hejduk an occasional shift again with Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene, some of his ice time was taken by Peter Mueller after a sluggish first period.

Hejduk had just two goals in his previous 22 games despite averaging 15 to 20 minutes a game.

McGinn’s debut. Left wing Jamie McGinn made his Avs debut, skating on the third line with Mark Olver and David Jones. Like most other Avs against Columbus, he did not have an especially effective night offensively and took a hooking penalty in the first period.

“We’re looking for a strong physical player and to really create havoc on the forecheck, to use his size and be abrasive, hard to play against.”

Footnotes. Right wing Chuck Kobasew missed the game with a back injury and is considered day to day. … Several members of Pittsburgh Penguins management, including former Avs coach Tony Granato, were at the game. The Avs play Pittsburgh on Saturday night. … Avs defender Erik Johnson entered the game a plus-12 in his previous 31 contests.

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